This invention relates generally to electronic switches. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic switch that may be utilized in, for example, a drowsiness warning device which provides a tactile and aural warning to a wearer as he or she becomes drowsy and the chin comes into contact with the electronic switch.
It is well known that many traffic accidents are caused by driver drowsiness and inattention to the road which occurs most frequently during long distance drives. The seriousness of the problems is emphasized by the number of people who lose their lives in such traffic accidents and the amount of property damage caused. To prevent oneself from falling asleep at the wheel, many drivers take stimulants to help them stay awake. The problem is particularly acute in the case of truck and bus drivers who routinely drive long distances.
One device previously devised that addresses the foregoing problems is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,127. There a drowsiness warning device and neck support is disclosed which includes a band which is securable about a wearer's neck, and an alarm positioned by the band below the wearer's chin for producing a tactile and an aural warning as the chin contacts the alarm device. The band includes a central section formed with a vertically stiff plastic material which is capable of holding a lower elongated body of the alarm therein. An upper rounded dome section of the alarm extends above the central section. The band also includes a pair of straps having hook and loop tape fasteners, and intermediate sections between the straps and the central section lined with a fibrous material for wearer comfort. In one of the disclosed embodiments, the alarm includes a hollow elastomeric ball having a mechanical noise maker disposed within an air inlet/outlet aperture for the ball. In another embodiment, the alarm includes an electrically actuated speaker which is connectable to a battery on depression of the upper rounded dome.
Although the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,127 has satisfied a long-felt need for a suitable drowsiness warning device, there has remained a need for improved electrically actuated alarms/switches. In this regard, there has been a need for an electronic switch of more simplified construction which is yet highly reliable and suitable for use in a drowsiness warning device as disclosed in said patent. In addition to being of simplified construction, there has been a need for an electronic switch that can be assembled efficiently and yet is adaptable to a number of configurations for, possibly, a number of different uses. The electronic switch of the present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.